The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Conventional and digital aids are widely used to impart educational information. Books, flashcards, graphics, videos are a few of the sources utilized to deliver educational content. For example, a teacher can introduce new vocabulary to students by reading a textbook or showing an animated video related to that vocabulary. However, the ability of an individual to grasp understanding of new vocabulary or other information is influenced by their cognitive, emotional and environmental factors. Some understand better through listening and speaking, while others may learn best by interacting with peers <Ref1 https://teach.com/what/teachers-teach/learning.styles/>. Yet, in other cases, some individuals learn new information faster and retain better when they can associate knowledge with physical trigger objects that they touch, and in some cases, even carry around with them. <Ref2 https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/5-common-techniques-for-helping-struggling-students> For example, a pyramid-shaped bracelet charm could serve as a trigger to provide information about ancient Egyptian pyramids.
Another benefit of using a physical trigger object could be to provide contextually relevant educational lessons, in pieces. For example, a pyramid-shaped charm can be used to introduce basic math concept of a pyramid, and later to introduce advanced level math formulas related to pyramids. The methodology of teaching complex concepts by breaking down the concepts into simpler pieces has been found to be an effective way for students to organize and synthesize new information. The physical trigger object can also be used to reinforce the concepts introduced to the students in school.
It is also known in some circumstances to use modern electronics (e.g., cell phones and smart watches) as electronic assistants to provide educational information. But the information obtained is not particularly related to the device. For example, one could find information about ancient Egypt using a smart watch. But the smart watch has no particular connection to ancient Egypt, so it would be difficult for a student or other user to associate the watch with such information, and therefore to use the watch as a trigger object.
One way of coupling a trigger object to relevant information is to tag the trigger object, and then use a reader of some sort to retrieve the information. Of course, many objects are currently tagged with QR or bar codes. <Ref3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code> However, information sourced using such codes are intended for commercial purposes, such as product tracking, item identification etc. For example, a bar code on a carton of milk can be used to obtain the price or expiration date on that particular carton, not information on milk in general. It could be of considerable educational value if tagged objects could be used to provide educational information to students and others, rather than merely commercial information. This value is further enhanced, if the educational information delivered to student is contextually associated with the tagged object.
Also, conventional tagging of objects has not been used to obtain information that is geared to education-related attributes of individual person. For example, any purchaser of a carton of milk will get the same price as any other person who is similarly situated (time of day, employment status, etc). It could be of considerable educational benefit if tagged objects could be used to provide educational information to students and others, based on one or more education-related attributes of the specific user, for example age, gender, favorite subject, current grade level, hobby, topic of interest, sports, team, or school.
It is known for game pieces (perhaps a tiny sword or gun) to be tagged, and to utilize the tags to establish some right or privilege in a game. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,206,217. But there again, the information retrieved is not geared to any education-related attribute of the specific user.
Systems (e.g. NANT ID™) are also known that utilize an image of an object to identify the object, and to retrieve price, marketing or other commercial information related to that object. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,532. For example, imaging of a Mercedes™ automobile driving by could retrieve for the user an address of a local Mercedes dealer. But the information retrieved is not geared to any education-related attribute of the specific user.
Systems are also known that utilize a bracelet or watch to obtain location information for a user. But of course, the information retrieved would again be the same regardless of which person was wearing the item. The information retrieved would not be geared to any education-related attribute of the specific user.
Similarly, although numerous wearables and toys are currently used to provide educational information (e.g., Fischer-Price™ toys, Leap Frog™), the information is not retrieved based upon any education-related attribute of the specific user.
Thus, there is still a need for methods and apparatus to deliver contextually relevant educational information using smart wearable objects such as jewelry, toys or similar devices, and based upon education-related attributes of the specific user.